Chinese New Year Traditions

Though we’ve made our resolutions and toasted to the New Year, the celebration hasn’t closed its doors just yet! Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, will take place on February 8th this year. So if you haven’t been keeping up with your resolutions, all hope is not lost. With the Chinese New Year on its way, you’ve still got a second chance to get that book read or that junk food out of your house.

When it comes to party planning for this particular New Year, there isn’t nearly as much champagne toasting as we’re used to. However, it’s certainly not an occasion to miss! The Chinese New Year is known for its most important element, the reunion dinner. Held on the eve of the New Year, the dinner spread is lavish with multiple courses – including a raw fish salad known as yee sang. The tradition behind this is that the higher you toss the salad, the more your fortunes will grow in the New Year. How’s that for a tradition?

While the western New Year focuses on resolutions and fresh starts, the Chinese New Year is tied to tradition and symbolism. One of the most common traditions that can be seen during the celebration is the dragon dance. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and cymbals together with the face of the dragon dancing aggressively can evict evil spirits. These dances take the great skill and mentality of a sports team with the stagecraft of a performing arts group.

Today, the celebration lasts for two weeks featuring a number of important icons and decorations. From dragons to lanterns, Amols’ has a great selection of beautiful decorations to help bring good fortune to your Lunar New Year.